DALLAS -- Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be available against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night as he returns from a five-game injury absence for a matchup with significant playoff implications.
Doncic had been out because of a left thigh strain that required an MRI. The test didn't show significant damage, but Doncic still missed two weeks after limping through his most recent game before being sidelined.
Fellow Dallas star Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, will not play because of right foot soreness after aggravating his injury Monday and leaving the arena in a walking boot.
Doncic and Irving have played together in nine of 17 games since Irving was acquired from Brooklyn before the NBA trade deadline. Dallas is 3-6 in those games.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (non-COVID-19 illness) also is out for the Mavericks, but Markieff Morris (left knee soreness) is available.
The meeting of last season's Western Conference finalists comes with both teams trying to stay out of the play-in tournament while also being at risk of missing the playoffs altogether.
The defending champion Warriors (37-36), who beat Dallas in five games in the West finals last spring, are a half-game ahead of the Mavericks (36-36). The winner will hold the tiebreaker between the teams with a 2-1 edge in the season series.
Golden State is mostly healthy, with stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both set to play and Draymond Green listed as probable with right wrist soreness.
The Warriors just ended an 11-game road losing streak, their longest in 13 years. Wednesday's game vs. Dallas is the final stop on their five-game road trip. Golden State is 8-29 on the road this season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
